Improvement in pruning-shears



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'MYRON DE GROODT, 0F EATON. ,essienon To TEEEON s. DE enoon'r LAFAYETTEDE GROODT, Ol"lPRA'lTS HOLLOW, NEW'YORK.

lmruovlalvletrr1N` PRUNlNe-SHEARS.

Specification forming part of Letters lPatent No. 136,820, dated March18, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYRoN DE GRoonT,` of

n the town` of Eaton, in the county of Madison and State ot' New York,have invented a cer'-` not be slivered, and will consequently beY lettin a better condition to heal over. My imjprovement consists in soconstructing 2pruniing-shears of the character described that theoperator may cut off limbs in the manner stated, upon opposite sides ofa tree, without shifting his position, on simply reversingl theinstrument, without changing his handson the handles, and that in, usingthe shears the hand operating the blade must always be moved toward thehandholding the handle of4 the supporting-hook, in which way thegreatest power can beV exerted." VTo `this end 'the double hook is madeof anchor-like form overhanging the blade, and beyond the pivot the Arespective shanks or tangs are'bent away from each other suicientlyto"allow the handles to pass each other.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved pruning-shears. Fig. 2 isan edge view there of'.

The same .letters of reference are employed in both figures in thedesignation of identical parts.

A refers to the two-edged blade and B to the double or anchor-like hook,the respective tangs A and B of which are pivoted together ata by astrong rivet. The blade beginsclose to the fulcrum or pivot,butthejiukes b and bf of the hook are some distance above the same, sothat when the shears are opened and the hook lll is held in a verticalposition the fluke, at the time acting with the blade, will hangdirectly over the cutting-edge thereof. yThe tangs are bent in themanner clearly shown in Fig. 2, throwing the handles C and D apart sothat they may pass by each other in turning the blade from one side tothe other of the double hook.

l In using the shears the handle C connected to the blade is graspedwith the right hand, and hook-handle D with the left. In apply ing theinstrument to cut o a limb one of the lukes is hooked over it, holdingthe hook-handle in about a vertical position and so that itV shall benearest to the trunk of the tree, while the handle C is elevated' tovopen the shears the required distance. On moving the handle C towardthe handle D the blade will cut through the limb from the under side,and in an-upward direction, with the hook bearing against the stump. Tocut oi a-lilnb upon the opposite side of the tree in the 'same way it isonly necessary to reverse the shears by moving the handles past eachother without changl ing the hands. rI he other edge of the blade willthen act in conjunction with the other fluke of the hook in preciselythe same manner. Y

Thus the operator may stand in one position and prune a tree, as stated,nearly all around.

What I cla-im as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

Pruning-shears composed of a two-edged blade, A, and an overhangingdouble or anchoir-like hook, B b b, the respective tangs A' and B ofwhich are bent, throwing the handles out of line so that they can movepast each other, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 'to the foregoingspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MYRON DE GROODT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. GARDINER, HARVEY L. HOPKINS.-

